Crime profiles and conditional release performance of psychopathic and non‐psychopathic sexual offenders

Purpose. This study investigated the influence of psychopathy and sex offender subtype on criminal history, probability of being granted conditional release, and performance while on conditional release in a diverse group of violent offenders. We predicted that psychopathic sexual offenders would be associated with relatively prolific violent and sexual offending, a high probability of successful conditional release applications despite their past behaviour (resulting from ‘putting on a good show’ in a parole hearing), and poor performance in the community. Methods. Information was gathered via a correctional file review of 310 Canadian male federal offenders. Offenders were categorized into groups based on their sexual offence history (non‐sex offender, rapist, child molester, or mixed rapist/molester) and Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL‐R; Hare, 2003) ratings. Their offences (sexual, violent, or non‐violent) and their complete conditional release histories were coded. Results. Psychopathy was associated with more violent and non‐violent, but not sexual, offences. A significant interaction between psychopathy and offender subtype revealed that psychopathy was associated with a greater number of sex offences within child molesters. High‐psychopathy offenders (both sexual and non‐sexual offenders) were about 2.5 times more likely to be granted conditional release than non‐psychopathic offenders. Conclusions. Psychopathy is associated with more prolific sexual offending among child molesters and – despite their extensive criminal histories and high recidivism rate – a great proficiency in persuading parole boards to release them into the community. Specialized education and training in dealing with psychopathic offenders is urgently needed.     

Police officer attitudes to the practicalities of the sex offenders’ register,ViSOR and Child Sexual Abuse Disclosure Scheme in England and Wales

This paper examines police officer understandings of and attitudes to the sex offenders’ register, Violent and Sex Offenders’ Register (ViSOR) and Child Sexual Offender Disclosure Scheme (CSODS) in England and Wales – an under-researched area in the management of sexual offenders in the UK. This research is an adaptation of an American study utilising a mixed-methods approach, combining an online questionnaire survey (N?=?227) with a series of semi-structured interviews (N?=?27). The study found that police officers, irrespective of role, were generally supportive of the register, ViSOR and CSODS in principle, but they thought that logistics, practicalities, infrastructure, multi-agency collaboration and public understandings had problematic impacts on the scheme in practice. The participants believed that greater investment was needed in terms of time and resource to make the register, ViSOR and CSODS easier to use and access and thus fit for purpose.     

Measuring public perceptions of sex offenders: reimagining the Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders (CATSO) scale

The Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders (CATSO) scale is an 18-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure respondents’ attitudes toward sex offenders. Its original factor structure has been questioned by a number of previous studies, and so this paper sought to reimagine the scale as an outcome measure, as opposed to a scale of attitudes. A face validity analysis produced a provisional three-factor structure underlying the CATSO: ‘punitiveness,’ ‘stereotype endorsement,’ and ‘risk perception.’ A sample of 400 British members of the public completed a modified version of the CATSO, the Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders scale, the General Punitiveness Scale, and the Rational-Experiential Inventory. A three-factor structure of a 22-item modified CATSO was supported using half of the sample, with factors being labeled ‘sentencing and management,’ ‘stereotype endorsement,’ and ‘risk perception.’ Confirmatory factor analysis on data from the other half of the sample endorsed the three-factor structure; however, two items were removed in order to improve ratings of model fit. This new 20-item ‘Perceptions of Sex Offenders scale’ has practical utility beyond the measurement of attitudes, and suggestions for its future use are provided.     

Impression management and self-report among violent offenders

Offenders are assumed by many to employ socially desirable responding (SDR) response styles when completing self-report measures. Contrary to expectations, prior research has shown that accounting for SDR in self-report measures of antisocial constructs does not improve the relationship with outcome. Despite this, many self-report measures reliably predict future criminal outcome criteria. The present research examines the relationship of SDR (self-deception and impression management) with self-reported antisocial attitudes and the outcome of criminal recidivism in a sample of violent offenders. Offenders high on impression management reported lower antisocial attitudes. However, when impression management was statistically partialed from antisocial attitudes, the relationship with recidivism tended to diminish, though not to a statistically significant degree. This finding, though hypothesized based on previous empirical findings, is contrary to the theoretical assumption that controlling for SDR should improve the relationship of self-report with outcome. The discussion centers on the implications of routinely removing impression management from self-report.     

Effective interventions for acquisitive offenders: An investigation of cognitive skills programmes

Purpose. Previous research has suggested that cognitive skills programmes completed by offenders may be more effective in reducing reconviction with nonacquisitive than acquisitive offenders. This study investigates whether a similar pattern is present with offenders who have completed accredited cognitive skills programmes in prisons in England and Wales. Method. Questionnaires measuring the cognitive deficits targeted by the programmes were administered to 8,303 offenders participating in cognitive skills programmes while in custody. A checklist on the individuals' behaviour was also completed for each participant. The questionnaires and the behaviour checklist were completed before, after, and at 8 weeks after the end of the course. Participants were assigned to one of three groups dependent upon the number of convictions they had received for acquisitive offences; non‐acquisitive, medium acquisitive and high acquisitive. Results. Offenders in the high acquisitive group showed greater need in the cognitive deficits at the pre‐course stage than the other two groups, for both the self‐completion questionnaires and the behaviour checklist. A comparison of preand post‐course scores on the questionnaires and the behaviour checklist showed positive effect sizes for all three groups. Some of the variables showed a greater change from pre‐ to post‐course in the groups that had been convicted of more acquisitive offences. Conclusion. Cognitive skills programmes appear to be as effective with offenders convicted of acquisitive crime as non‐acquisitive crime, although highly acquisitive offenders may benefit from an additional intervention. Further studies are needed to investigate whether this same result is upheld when the outcome measure is reconviction.     

Implicit Theories in Intimate Partner Violence Sex Offenders: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

An increased understanding of the cognitive characteristics of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Sex Offenders would have implications for clinical intervention and risk assessment in this distinctive offending behaviour group. The improved understanding of cognitions in violent offenders, sex offenders, and IPV offenders has led to the development and implementation of specific offender behaviour programmes taking these cognitive characteristics into account. Recently, empirical investigations have focussed on qualitative exploration of cognition to propose implicit theories (ITs), that is distinct sets of schemas that offenders hold in relation to themselves, the world, and others. The current paper utilises Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore cognition in 11 Intimate Partner Sex Offenders. Five superordinate and 14 subthemes were identified, which are representative of Implicit Theories present in this specific offender group. These ITs are discussed in relation to other offending behaviour groups in addition to their clinical implications in the development of effective interventions and risk assessment tools.     

Stereotypes and attitudes about child sexual abusers: A comparison of experienced and inexperienced professionals in sex offender treatment

Purpose . The danger of stereotyping child sex offenders is that such stereotypes allow suspected abusers to avoid detection. The current study investigated whether professionals involved in the treatment of sex offenders endorsed less stereotypes of sex offenders than an ‘inexperienced’ group of teachers. Method . Sixty professionals involved with sex offenders and 71 school teachers completed three questionnaires: the Stereotypes of Sex Offenders Questionnaire; Attitudes Towards Sex Offenders Scale ( Hogue, 1993 ) and Knowledge of Child Abuse Questionnaire (created for the present study). Mediation analyses were then conducted on the relationships between the scores. Results . Experienced professionals endorsed negative stereotypes less, had more positive attitudes towards sex offenders and expressed more knowledge of child abuse than the inexperienced group. Further, attitudes towards child sexual offenders were significantly mediated by the effect of knowledge of child abuse on group (experienced, inexperienced). However, there was no significant mediation for the effect of knowledge on child abuse on the relationship between group (experienced, inexperienced) and stereotype consistent scores. Conclusions . The less knowledge of child abuse, the more stereotypical one may be about potential child sex offenders. Thus, it may be useful to increase knowledge on child abuse in inexperienced groups to counter stereotyping and allow greater detection of offenders.     

Low recidivism rates of child sex offenders in a Finnish 7-year follow-up

ABSTRACT

This study examines the recidivism rates of Finnish child sex offenders convicted in 2010 (n = 361) over a follow-up period of seven years. The results indicate that while reoffending for other types of offences was common (34%), offenders had very low sexual crime recidivism rates (1%). In terms of more persistent criminal careers, less than a quarter of the offenders had both a previous criminal history and at least one subsequent offence during the follow-up period. Offenders with child sexual abuse material-related crimes reoffended more rarely than did others. Study limitations and implications for policymaking, media and rehabilitation are discussed.     

Recidivism in subgroups of severe male juvenile offenders

Abstract

Prior research is lacking on the incremental contribution of juvenile offender classification systems in predicting recidivism. To address this gap, the present study examined a five-group classification system of severe adolescent male offenders based on the personality and clinical scales of the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). Group membership was used to predict adult recidivism while controlling for criminal history. Male juvenile offenders classified as anxious/impulsive were less frequent recidivists than most other groups and had fewer charges after release than some other groups. Offenders classified into the psychopathy group were notable for their high rate of recidivism (nearly 50%). These results highlight the potential utility of offender classification systems for informing risk assessments among severe male juvenile offenders.     

How do offenders define bullying? A study of adult,young and juvenile male offenders

Purpose. The main aim of the present study was to explore how offenders define bullying and how this relates to school‐based definitions, with a subsidiary aim of exploring age differences. Methods. The sample was selected from two separate prisons in the UK housing male offenders (one adult prison and one housing both young and juvenile offenders) and consisted of 322 offenders (127 adults, 95 young offenders and 100 juveniles). Offenders were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to assess their perceptions of bullying, including an assessment of what types of behaviours made up bullying based on the Direct and Indirect Prisoner Behaviour Checklist (DIPC©: Ireland, 1999). Results. Differences were found between school‐based definitions and those applied by offenders. In particular, offenders reported that a single act of aggression could be considered bullying and that there was not always an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim. Victims were often seen to provoke bullies. Bullies were not always respected by their peers and one‐quarter of offenders felt that the term ‘bullying’ was a ‘childish’ one. Offenders reported a range of discrete aggressive behaviours, both direct and indirect in nature, which could be considered to be bullying. Indirect behaviours were reported as bullying less frequently than direct behaviours. Conclusions. The study demonstrated how school‐based definitions of bullying do not readily apply to offenders and the findings are discussed in relation to the specific population and environment under study.     

Identification of potential juvenile offenders

Conclusion In this article, we have reviewed the guidelines, from the criminological prediction tradition, that should be followed while developing a screening device for the identification of potential juvenile offenders. We were also able to recognize an appropriate screening strategy for prevention, even if more validation studies have to be conducted. Screening of juvenile offenders should rest on multiple stages, informants, methods, and variable domains. In addition, it was not possible to identify a satisfactory instrument for prevention screening. The candidate devices all have significant methodological deficiencies. Also, it was not possible to identify the particular predictors to retain for screening, even if there is a large consensus about the variable domains that are most important. To summarize, there is much technical work still to be done before we can develop appropriate screening instruments for the identification of potential offenders. Some screening strategies and instruments are promising, but none can be recommended for immediate use to policy-makers and practitioners. The state-of-the-art for the identification of potential juvenile offenders is such that the research community can only indicate how to develop good screening instruments. The research for this article was commissioned by the Study Group on Serious/Violent/ Chronic Offenders of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice of the United States of America. This paper is an adaptation of a more comprehensive review on screening for that study group.     

The implementation of case formulation by probation officers: service user and carer views

Background: The recent UK Government strategy on high-risk offenders with personality disorders (PD) proposes improved identification of this group, assessment of their treatment needs through case formulation (CF) and the subsequent provision of treatment pathways. Little is known about service user and carer views on this strategy. Aims/Hypotheses: This study sought to identify the views of personality-disordered (PD) offenders and carers on the proposed role of Probation staff in CF. Methods: Three focus groups were carried out, two with service users and one with carers, with a total of 10 participants overall. Results: Five themes emerged: ‘power’, ‘conflicting roles’, ‘trust’, ‘building a relationship through consistency of care’ and ‘hope and possibility’. Conclusions/Practical implications: Offenders and carers were sceptical regarding the proposed role of Offender Manager (OMs) in CF and this could pose a potential barrier to the successful implementation of the strategy.     

How do offenders move through the stages of change?

This study sought to investigate the way in which offenders moved through the stages of change. The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA) was administered to a group of general offenders (N = 371) who participated in the Short Motivational Programme (SMP), a brief motivational interviewing programme administered to medium-risk offenders in New Zealand. The offenders' URICA responses were subjected to a cross-lagged panel analysis using structural equation modelling. Four models specifying different prospective associations between stage engagements were examined. It was hypothesised that there would be support for sequential transitions through the stages as proposed by the Stages of Change model. However, the analysis rendered support for and against sequential transitions, in that offenders regressed to earlier stages or skipped a stage post-SMP. Offenders who skipped to an adjacent stage after the SMP may have actually passed through an intermediary stage during the intervention, and those who regressed to an earlier stage post-SMP may have gained a more realistic awareness of their problem behaviour. This finding also raises questions about the practical utility of the model with offenders and highlights the need for more rigorous studies investigating the way offenders move through the stages of change.     

城中村犯罪的形成机制——以深圳T村为例

城中村的犯罪基本上是以侵财为目的的经济型犯罪,尤其是入室盗窃,犯罪者主要为外来务工者。城中村的社区结构特征使得整个社区具有较低的集体效能,出现了社会解组。生活中的＂紧张＂使得外来务工者具备了犯罪动机,老乡网络和城中村越轨网络为犯罪者提供了两种训练渠道,城中村租住者本身的日常活动为犯罪的发生提供了适当的犯罪目标。     

JUVENILE OFFENDERS MEET THEIR VICTIMS

The process of allowing certain victims of crime to confront their juvenile offender in the presence of a trained mediator to both talkabout the event andnegotiate aplan for compensating the victim is developing in a growing number of communities throughout the United States. This article reports on the impact of the victim offender mediation program in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is based on interviews with 206 victims and juvenile offenders in Albuquerque, as well as interviews with court officials andprogram stas This program represenisa strong court and community partnership. victims and offenders whoparticipated in mediation indicated high levels of satisfaction with both the processand outcomes of mediation. Wctims who were involved in mediation, particularly, were considerably more likely to indicate satisfaction with the manner in which the juvenile justice system handled their case than were those victims who were referred to mediation but did nut participate or similar victims who were never even referred to the mediation program. Offenders who negotiated their restitution obligation with the victim were far more likely to actually complete restitution, when compared to offenders whose restitution was ordered by the court with no mediation program involvement.     

The Chromis programme: from conception to evaluation

Abstract

Offenders with high levels of psychopathic traits present particular challenges to the criminal justice system. These offenders are at high risk of re-offending and have a range of complex issues impacting on their response to treatment. This paper outlines the development, structure and implementation of the Chromis programme: a programme designed specifically to reduce the risk of violence in offenders with high levels of psychopathic traits. It outlines the context in which the programme currently runs and the challenges faced in evaluating its impact. Initial findings and plans for evaluation are discussed.     

Blame attribution and guilt feelings in violent offenders

Offenders with high psychopathic traits and/or antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are hypothesised to experience less guilt and less responsibility for their actions than offenders without these problems. These hypotheses were tested and partly substantiated. The study investigates blame attributions and guilt feeling using Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory–Revised (GBAI-R) for 177 young male violent offenders. GBAI scores were compared to ASPD and psychopathy according to the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised. Results showed that individuals with ASPD and those with higher degrees of psychopathy tended to report significantly less guilt and higher degree of mental control than other subjects. Another finding was a weak relationship between ASPD, high scores on psychopathic traits and external attribution. We suggest these results might be explained by admitting poor mental control may be extra difficult for individuals belonging to either of these groups and that the external attribution items do not separate causal from moral responsibility.     

The impact of pre-treatment responsivity and treatment participation on violent recidivism in a violent offender sample

This study assessed whether pre-treatment responsivity (psychopathy, motivation to attend treatment, denial and minimisation of offending behaviour, and feelings of guilt or shame) predicted violent recidivism and/or moderated the effectiveness of a violence intervention programme. Participants were 114 male violent offenders who were referred to a structured violent offender group treatment programme; 84 offenders commenced the programme. Results showed that treatment completion did not have a significant main effect on recidivism but that psychopathy scores moderated the effects of treatment. Offenders with high scores on the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) who were rated as having good engagement with treatment, or who completed treatment, had similar violent recidivism rates compared to offenders with low PCL:SV scores. In contrast, offenders with high PCL:SV scores who dropped out of treatment or were poorly engaged had significantly higher rates of violent recidivism. These findings indicate that treatment effectiveness could be enhanced, and greater reductions in recidivism achieved, if programmes find ways to engage and maintain psychopathic offenders in treatment.     

Rational-choice gun use in armed robbery: The likely deterrent effect on gun use of mandatory additional imprisonment

Conclusion The Western Australian findings suggest that a sentencing policy targeted specifically at the use of guns in committing robbery could be effective in discouraging the choice of this weapon. The proposed sentence is a mandatory minimum period of twelve months for the first offense. Sentencing for the principal, or focal, offense of robbery would be governed by existing law. A second, or even later, gun-using offense should carry a greater mandatory additional sentence. At the same time, given the social and experiential factors that have brought offenders to the point of choosing a weapon and a modus operandi, any such policy must be applied humanely. Rational-choice theory does not deny that there may be unequal opportunities to exercise choice; it does, however, assert that decision making can be influenced by an appropriate sentencing strategy.The implementation of any such policy should be carefully evaluated both in aggregate studies, as has been done in Canada, and in individualized, rational-choice research. The evaluation should address not only the efficacy of the broad strategy but also the narrower question of whether the suggested mandatory sentences are optimal.Although this article has offered theoretical and statistical support that the proposed sentencing strategy is likely to reduce the incidence of gun use in robbery, some offenders may be discouraged from committing further robberies altogether, inasmuch as victim management in certain kinds of robbery may be sensibly attempted only through the use of a gun. Deterred from using guns, some offenders may look for a different career altogether, whether criminal or not.This article is based on a report entitledWeapon Choice by Violent Offenders in Western Australia: A Pilot Study, co-authored with Ann Blake. Copies are available free of charge from the Administrative Secretary, Crime Research Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, W.A. 6009, Australia.The original research for the report was funded by Grant No. 5 of 1988 by the Australian Criminology Research Council. These funds were supplemented by the Crime Research Centre of the University of Western Australia. This article was written while the author was on sabbatical leave at the Centre for Criminological Research, University of Oxford.L.L.B., University of London 1960; L.L.M., Columbia University 1962. I would like to express my thanks to Dr. Roger Hood, Director of the Center for Criminological Research, University of Oxford.     

What differentiates anal rapists from vaginal rapists?

During the daily assessment routine of the Federal Documentation Centre for Sexual Offenders, important differences between rapists who commit their offense through anal penetration and other rapists became apparent. The hypothesis following these findings assumed that these and offenders would show a more sexualized behaviour than other rapists. The following differences between these two groups could be shown: violence and hypersexual desire. And rapists show a significantly higher degree in both areas, whereas, on the other side, no difference concerning psychopathic behaviour of the offenders could be proved. The preliminary conclusions that could be drawn according to these results express that anal rapists are more sexualized and, furthermore, they have a more obsessive sex life.